World Refugee Day: No more refugee life, three decades have passed

On Tuesday (June 20) in the morning, ‘World Refugee Day’ celebration has been held at community center of Nayapara registered refugee camp in Teknaf.

The refugees observed the day and held festoons and banners bearing their demands which reads, “no more refugee life, three decades passed. We want access to formal and higher education. Please rescue us from inhumane life. We want to survive as human being with civil rights, etc.”

“Prior the massive influx of 2017, we used to observe the ‘World refugee day’ fruitfully in the presence of UNHCR and government high officials in camp, where refugees could express their feelings freely before them (UNHCR and government officials). But since 2017 influx, registered and recognized refugees are unable to observe the day freely and even their (Refugees) speech has to be very limited and pre-verified. As a result, many of the refugees don’t know about the day. Only a handful refugees like Imam, and block leaders get access to community center to observe the day”, a refugee said under the condition of anonymity.

A refugee who didn’t want to be named said, “We are about 35,000 refugees have been living in two officially recognized refugee camps (Kutupalong and Nayapara) for more than three decades with the hope of a durable solution as per UN refugee statute, where in we would be able to enjoy civil rights, to make our children well educated with a formal curriculum, and even we would be able to survive as human being.”

Due to inhumane living conditions in the camps, and even for the lack of access to legitimate livelihoods, including formal and higher education, refugee youths became hopeless and their life style is being ruined day by day, which is destroying the image of refugees in the international arena.

A refugee youth from Nayapara camp said that as they are refugees, refugee children are being strategically denied formal and higher education opportunities along with livelihood, which is pushing them towards illegal activities despite their reluctance.